Issue |
Europhys. Lett.
Volume 46, Number 1, April I 1999
|
|
---|---|---|
Page(s) | 38 - 42 | |
Section | Condensed matter: structure, thermal and mechanical properties | |
DOI | https://doi.org/10.1209/epl/i1999-00559-8 | |
Published online | 01 September 2002 |
Alignment transition in a nematic liquid crystal due to field-induced breaking of anchoring
Liquid Crystal Physics, Department of
Microelectronics & Nanoscience
Chalmers University of Technology
& Göteborg University - S-41296 Göteborg, Sweden
Received:
18
September
1998
Accepted:
22
January
1999
We report on the alignment transition of a nematic liquid crystal from initially homeotropic to quasi-planar due to field-induced anchoring breaking. The initial homeotropic alignment is achieved by Langmuir-Blodgett monolayers. In this geometry the anchoring strength can be evaluated by the Frederiks transition technique. Applying an electric field above a certain threshold provokes turbulent states denoted DSM1 and DSM2. While DSM1 does not affect the anchoring, DSM2 breaks the coupling between the surface and the liquid crystal: switching off the field from a DSM2 state does not immediately restore the homeotropic alignment. Instead, we obtain a quasi-planar metastable alignment. The cell thickness dependence for the transition is related to the cell thickness dependence of the anchoring strength.
PACS: 61.30.-v – Liquid crystals / 78.20.Jq – Electrooptical effects / 47.27.Cn – Transition to turbulence
© EDP Sciences, 1999
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